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SICK BUILDING SYNDROME was a phrase given to describe buildings in which a percentage of the occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that are linked to the period of time spent in the building, but no specific cause can be identified.
This phenomenon is also called "Tight Building Syndrome" because of the building designs with limited natural outside ventilation or low ventilation rates.

Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome
   Itching or burning eyes
   Dry or itchy throat
   Runny nose or sneezing
   Headaches
   Burning skin or skin irritation
   Fatigue
   Difficulty breathing
   Dizziness
   Nausea

These symptoms can be a result from any variety of environmental conditions that have a synergistic effect on the indoor air quality. Further complicating this is the fact that indoor air pollutants seem to have an "overlapping" symptomology with some of the pollutants causing the same type of symptoms as others.
Factors such as improper lighting, noise, vibration, overcrowding and job related physcosocial problems (job stress) can produce symptoms that are similar to those associated with poor indoor air quality.
However, one factor is characteristic of Sick Building Syndrome in that the occupants report that the symptoms leave or lessen after they leave the building.

The most common complaint is "There is an odor in the building".
Odors in the building are commonly associated with poor air quality. Even more cases, occupants complain of stuffy conditons or being too hot or too cold. The occupants perception of the building environment can also be influenced by poor housekeeping and maintenance.

BUILDING RELATED ILLNESS

This occurs when symptoms of a diagnosable illness occur such as:- Legionnaire's disease, Pontiac fever, Histoplasmosis, sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma or dermatitis and that the illness can be directly attributed to environmental conditions in the building.
BRI symptoms generally do not disappear when the affected individual leaves the building.

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

The pollution comes from a variety of sources. Virtually everything in the indoor environment releases particles and/or gases. Common office supplies and equipment have been found to release potentially hazardous levels of chemicals. Cleaning processes such as sweeping, dusting and vacuuming remove the larger particles of debris but often increase the airborne concentrations of smaller particles.
Adverse health effects associated with indoor air pollution range from minor discomfort, respiratory illness, cancer and even death.
While there are many sources of indoor air pollution the source most frequently found is in the ventilation system. According to NIOSH the largest single cause of SBS is a deficency in the ventilation system.
The ventilation systems are comprised of many mechanical parts and many long lengths of ductwork, all of which collect dust and debris over time. Contaminants in the ductwork can range from common nuisance dust and soil, dead birds, rodents, rotting leaves, bacteria and mold. The HVAC system is a perfect breeding ground for biological contaminants due to the enclosed space, constant temperature, humidity and having dirt and debris as a nutrient.

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